Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata, MD and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,426 in La Plata, MD, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in La Plata, MD
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La Plata, MD Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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La Plata, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,426

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Plata, MD and in Monterrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in La Plata, MD and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,426 per month in La Plata, MD vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

La Plata, MD $2,426
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,648 per month in La Plata, MD vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

La Plata, MD $3,648
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $4,869 per month in La Plata, MD vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

La Plata, MD $4,869
Monterrey $3,504

La Plata, MD costs about 48% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both La Plata, MD and Monterrey sit above the global median – La Plata, MD by 79%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 $13.31

$13.37 MX$250

-0.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 $90.6

$47.95 MX$897

88.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 $7.55

$10.79 MX$202

-30.03%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$3.77 MX$70.4

62.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.51 MX$28.26

84.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.03 MX$19.25

156.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.48 MX$46.41

42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.36 MX$81.5

16.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.89 MX$35.43

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.85 MX$53.3

57.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$1.86 MX$34.71

245.16%

Eggs

$1.74 $1.74

$2.47 MX$46.12

-29.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 $12.43

$11.81 MX$221

5.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 $8.74

$8.97 MX$168

-2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 $12.74

$12.57 MX$235

1.35%

Apples (1kg)

$7.50 $7.50

$3.20 MX$59.8

134.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.50 MX$28.12

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.12 MX$39.74

161.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.33 MX$43.64

87.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.22 MX$41.58

40.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.58 MX$48.34

-22.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.45 MX$27.04

91.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.22 MX$22.85

113.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.23 $12.23

$4.80 MX$89.7

154.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 $14.32

$13.30 MX$249

7.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.93 MX$36.14

-11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.86 MX$53.4

22.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.80 MX$14.94

166.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 $62.1

$30.94 MX$579

100.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.83 MX$34.28

46.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.06 MX$19.78

44.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.11 $28.11

$10.82 MX$202

159.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.47 MX$27.54

-31.29%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.2K $33.2K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

37.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

30.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.0 $96.0

$115 MX$2,144

-16.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$42.47 $42.47

$26.37 MX$493

61.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 $71.1

$25.70 MX$481

176.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.26 $40.26

$30.53 MX$571

31.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 $15.14

$4.96 MX$92.8

205.24%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,210 $1,210

$679 MX$12.7K

78.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K $18.5K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

30.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.82 $45.82

$72.2 MX$1,350

-36.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 $41.97

$41.94 MX$784

0.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$107 MX$2,011

10.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$119 MX$2,219

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 $1,560

$1,018 MX$19.0K

53.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$722 MX$13.5K

75.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,540 $2,540

$1,966 MX$36.8K

29.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 $2,130

$1,416 MX$26.5K

50.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$4,203 MX$78.6K

-42.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 $2,348

$2,782 MX$52.0K

-15.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,367 $6,367

$1,096 MX$20.5K

481.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

11.79

-46.99%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for La Plata, MD: October 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

La Plata, MD

$1.3K 52.3%

Monterrey

$722 44% 43.1% $548

Groceries & Markets

La Plata, MD

$406 16.7%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 25.6% $104

Eating Out

La Plata, MD

$252 10.4%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 14.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Plata, MD

$209 8.6%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 20.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

La Plata, MD

$138 5.7%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 11% $15

Getting Around

La Plata, MD

$81 3.3%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 49% $40

Sport & Entertainment

La Plata, MD

$71 2.9%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 42.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,560 in La Plata, MD versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in La Plata, MD are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in La Plata, MD versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Plata, MD

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

1 h behind La Plata, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

La Plata, MD Monterrey 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

La Plata, MD
Monterrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

La Plata, MD vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Plata, MD is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,639 per month in La Plata, MD and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,560 in La Plata, MD.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,426 in La Plata, MD and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Monterrey about 32% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,426 in La Plata, MD and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Plata, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.